Feeding America asks farmers and gardeners to help fight hunger

Feeding America is asking farmers and also gardeners to help fight hunger by donating to local food banks.

Burwinkel Farms

Feeding Americatoday encouraged farmers and gardening enthusiasts across the nation to help fight hunger. With the arrival of the spring planting season, growing crops for a local food bank would be an effective way to help those in need.

Fresh fruits and vegetables not only help increase the supply at a food bank, but also the nutritious quality of the food.

Feeding America's CEO Bob Aiken says, "We work very hard to get fresh fruits and vegetables to millions of Americans living at risk of hunger throughout our nation, and we are extremely grateful to agricultural producers, farmers, the food and grocery industries, and individuals who donate millions of pounds of fresh produce to us each season. But more is needed."

The Harvest for All, Invest an Acre and Plant a Row for the Hungry are organizations that can help local food producers donate their products.

There are 49 million Americans who suffer from hunger. Food banks have been increasingly under the strain of helping record numbers of people.

The coming summer months also prove difficult because federal school meal programs are not available to families, making extra donations even more crucial. In addition, donations to food pantries tend to decline in the summer.

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William Lambers is an author, journalist, historian and Charity Miles All-Star. He is a blogger for the Huffington Post. He partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme on the book Ending World Hunger. He is also the author of Nuclear Weapons, The Road to Peace, the Spirit of the Marshall Plan, The Battle of Britain and Fighting World Hunger with Words from History. His writings have been published by the New York Times, Des Moines Register, San Diego Tribune, History News Network, San Francisco Chronicle, the Bakersfield Californian, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Buffalo News and other media outlets. His work has been featured alongside the Prime Minister of Jordan in Spectrum Magazine, published by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. He is a member of the Feeding America Blogger Council.